The present invention relates to a container and, more particularly, to a container which houses puzzle pieces related to said container.
It is widely known that character based toys, such as dolls and action figures, are useful tools in the development of children. By playing with these items, children are able to create and understand relationships and interactions that become critical to their social development. Hence, dolls and action figures are well established in the prior art.
While teaching valuable lessons in social development, however, dolls and action figures function in a vacuum. Children who are limited only to these toys may not develop important analytical and motor skills. Moreover, the dolls and action figures require a child to imagine the setting and surrounding for such play. While imagination is critical to development, dolls do not teach children to synthesize their imaginations with the world with which they are familiar. The doll in an imaginative vacuum need never relate to any real and familiar time, place or function.
It is also widely known that puzzles are effective in developing improved cognitive and motor skills in children. They teach children to think spacially and place abstract concepts in a tangible medium. In short, they function at the opposite extreme from dolls.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,144,751 to Brown attempts to overcome the deficiency in the art by providing a figure toy container. In the Brown patent, a hollow cylindrical container forms the body of a toy and houses appendages, such as arms and legs, designed to fit and complete the toy figure. The toy cannot stand alone, however, without the inner pieces to complete the figure. Moreover, a child using the toy container of the Brown patent may improve his motor skills and analytical skills, but is not required to associate the doll with any real familiar time, place or function. Further, the Brown patent is unrelated to puzzles, pieces and particularly jigsaw puzzles.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,660,926 to Lerner et al. suffers from a similar deficiency as the Brown invention. In Lerner et al., the toy houses magnetic pieces which attach to the body of the toy. In the Lerner et al. patent, however, the pieces housed by the toy container are required to complete the toy so that the container is not a stand alone doll. Further, Lerner et al. patent is unrelated to puzzles, pieces and particularly jigsaw puzzles.
A need exists in the art for a toy that provides the social learning and imagination of a doll as well as the cognitive and concrete analysis of a puzzle. A need exists in the art for the combination of a doll that can operate in an analytical sphere and a puzzle that operates in a social one.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a toy that is both an analytical and imaginative plaything. A further object of the invention is to provide an educational tool for children and students of all ages and abilities. A feature of the present invention is a doll having an internal cavity, said cavity housing puzzle pieces. Yet another feature of the invention is interlocking puzzle pieces that, when assembled, portray a two dimensional image of the doll in which they are housed. Yet another feature of the present invention is a container, shaped and decorated to portray a thing being studied. Another feature of the present invention is interlocking puzzle pieces that, when assembled, create an image thematically related to the doll or thing being studied in which they are housed. An advantage of the present invention is that a child or student is taught to spatially associate a two dimensional image of a completed puzzled with a tangible, three dimensional plaything. Another advantage of the present invention is that a child or student is taught to associate, and hence quickly recall the character of the doll or identity thing being studied with a thematically related function, time or place as created by the image in the puzzle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a three dimensional toy that may stand alone or be used in conjunction with an associated puzzle. A feature of the present invention is container, shaped and decorated to portray a character, such as a doll or action figure. A further feature of the present invention is a means for accessing the internal cavity of the container. A further feature of the invention is a reversibly detachable head or torso or limb which will allow access to the container""s internal cavity. An advantage of the present invention is that the container can function solely as a doll if desired. A further object of the invention is that the puzzle can be removed from the internal cavity of the container without permanently altering the container.
In brief, the present invention is a toy or educational tool comprising a container, said container shaped and decorated to portray a character or thing being studied and having an interior cavity; puzzle pieces housed in said interior cavity; and a means for accessing said interior cavity.
Numerous other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent through the detailed description of the preferred embodiment, the claims, and the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals are used to represent like parts throughout the same.